New DVD Release: Jade Warrior

Jade Warrior [aka Jadesoturi] (2006) is a kung fu fantasy film made in Finland by director Antti-Jussi Annila. Its bizarre lineage is enough to pique one’s interest, being based on both Chinese and Finnish mythologies — in the latter case the epic work The Kalevala, a collection of tales somewhat like the Arthurian legends or The Odyssey. The Kalevala features a hero and a mystical device called the Sampo, as well as a love story, demons and an apocalyptic threat in the form of a battle of Good and Evil for control of the world. The film uses these elements, interweaving events in ancient China with events in modern-day Finland, as the hero is re-incarnated in order to find his love and save the world. Or something like that.

Plot summary from Cine-east.com:

Inspired by a well-known Finnish epic called The Kalevala, the story opens with a down-on-his luck hardware merchant who gets dumped by his girlfriend. She tries to dispose of his collection of Asian artifacts at an antique dealer, but this sets off a mythical series of events that turns the merchant into a warrior prince, fated to battle a demon in icy northern Finland, responsible for enslaving all of humankind. The prince is abetted – and then ultimately betrayed – by a two-faced female warrior who has captured his heart and thus carries his greatest weakness in her hands. The battle involves enchanted boxes, spectacular swordfights, and supernatural events that come together – simultaneously – in an isolated cabin on the outskirts of Helsinki and in the Chinese mountains.

And yes, that is a mummy in the foreground of the previous shot.

So I went to the website and looked around and eventually watched the official trailer. Looks good.